Mattress or cushion and method of making the same



' June 3,1941. H; H. SEAVERT 2,244,543

MATTRESS OR CUSHION AND METHOD OFMAKING- THE SAME Filed May 14, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 1- 'iiwantor owczndfifSeauenzf- June 3, 1941. H. H. SEAVERT 2,244,543

MATTRESS 0R CUSHION AND METHOD OF MAKING THE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 14, 1938 5400722507 Kiowa/12' flfieauem June 3,1941. H. H. SEAVERT 2,244,543

MATTRESS 0k CUSHION AND METHOD-0F MAKING THE SAME Filed May 14, 1958 s Sheets-Sheet s v Euanaor: 3 fiqwcwc 15f Seal/27 Patented June 3, 1941 STATES PAT N'i srlcs MATTRESS OR CUSHION AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Application May 14, 1938, Serial No. 208,046

6 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved mattress or cushion construction and the method of making such improved mattress or cushion. The main objects of the invention are to provide a mattress or cushion wherein the parts comprising the same are effectively united so as to retain their proper assembled relation; to provide means whereby the boxing or border of the mattress or cushion is effectively sustained in desired transversely stretched or taut condition so as to prevent unsightly edge-sagging effects; to provide inexpensive and easily applied means for uniting the boxing of the mattress or cushion to other parts thereof for the purpose indicated and which means may be applied at very low labor cost; to provide an improved method for uniting the boxing to another portion of the mattress construction for the purpose indicated; and in general, it is the object of the invention to provide an improved mattress or cushion and method of constructing the same.

Other objects and advantages will be understood by reference to the following specification and accompanying drawings (3 sheets), wherein there is illustrated a mattress of the inner spring type and embodying a preferred form of the invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan section.

Figure 2 is an elevation of the inside of a prebuilt boxing employed in constructing the improved mattress.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan section similar to Figure 1 but showing a modified construction,

and t V Figure 5 is a fragmentary section on the line 55 of Figure 4.

This application is in part a continuation of my pending application Serial No. 167,678 which was abandoned on or about July 5, 1938, in view of the filing of this application.

Referring now to the drawings, the mattress structure illustrated comprises an inner spring unit embodying a multiplicity of axially vertical coil springs 4, the same being herein illustrated as of the hour-glass type. The springs 4 are connected adjacent their tops and bottoms by means of helical wires such as indicated at 5, and are screwed into place so as to embrace adjacent or overlapping portions such as indicated at 4 and 4 of the top and bottom coils, respectively, of adjacent springs 4. The helical wires 5 are preferably of spring wire construction in accordance with known practice and they may be manually or automatically applied to the springs t.

The inner spring construction is enclosed between upper and lower pads 6 and 1, respectively, and within boxing 8 which extends between the edges of the upper and lower pads 6 and l. The upper and lower pads 6 and 1 may be of any desired construction. For example, they may be of composite construction, that is, comprise two or more layers of padding materials of different kinds as may be selected or preferred. The padding material of the top and bottom of the mattress is, of course, enclosed between inner and outer fabrics or ticking as indicated in the drawings.

ticking strip 9, an inner fabric strip l0 and interposed padding material H, the composite strip thus formed being quilted, for example, by stitching indicated at I2, which extends transversely of the length of the boxing strip. The outer ticking fabric 9 is preferably extended in its width and united at its edges to the adjacent edges of the outer coverings of the top and bottom pads 6 and 1, in accordance with the usual practice substantially as indicated in Figure 3.

The boxing 8 is, according to the present invention, supplied with a tape strip such as indicated at l3 adjacent its upper and lower edges, such tape strip, extending lengthwise of the boxing and being secured theretopreferably by means of the lines of quilting stitches 12'. Hence, the portions of the tape strip I3 intermediate adjacent lines of quilting 12 remain free and more or lessseparable from the inside face of the boxing.

In the construction shown in Figures 1 and 3, the boxing B is attached, adjacent its upper and lower edges, to the inner construction of the mattress by means of wires in the form of helicals indicated at [4-44, such helicals being preferably made of spring wire and being turned or screwed into place so as to embrace portions of said tape strips I3 intermediate the stitches which fasten them to the boxing, and also adjacent side portions of the top and bottom coils respectively, of the outermost springs, as clearly indicated in Figure 3.

It will be observed that the tape strips l3 are positioned on the inside of the boxing near the upper and lower edges respectively of the latter and in such spaced relation to each other as to substantially correspond to the normal space between the upper and lower coils of the The boxing 8 preferably comprises an outer springs 4 when the mattress or cushion is in its normal distended condition. Thus it will be seen that the normal resiliency of the springs 4 is applied directly to the boxing to maintain it in vertically stretched condition to thereby counteract any tendency of the mattress to sag around its edges.

In the manufacture of mattresses embodying the described construction, the order of the steps may be varied but it is preferable that the inner construction unit and the pre-formed boxing unit be first connected to each other by the helical and tape connected inner construction and boxing may have the upper and lower pads assembled therewith and united thereto substantially as indicated.

The described method and means for connecting the boxing of the mattress to the inner construction may be carried out manually or automatic mechanism may beprovided for guiding the helical into its operative relation to the connected parts. It will be observed that the described structure is inexpensive, since the cost of tape strips such as l3l3 is obviously very little, as is also true. of helical wires such as iii-I4. Also, the labor cost involved in attaching the tape strips iii to the boxing is almost negligible, since the strips are attached by stitching which is provided for other purposes which therefore serves a double purpose.

.The connecting wire i i, while serving to connect the boxing to the inner spring construction, also serves the important purpose of strengthening the adjacent corner of the mattress without making it rigid. The flexibility of the wire permethod described. Thereupon the mits free fiem'ng of the corner portion of the mattress while the resiliency of said Wire tends at all times to maintain the mattress corner portion in'its normal straight condition.

In the arrangements shown in Figures 4 and 5, the helical border parts it of the inner construction do not directly engage the tape strips l3. They are, however, employed to connect the outer portions of the top coils of the outermost springs by being threaded upon such coil portions and they serve the purpose of reinforcing the mattress edge.

border helical M so as to enclose it as best shown in Figure 5. It will be apparent that this arrangement results ina flexible but form-maintaining edge for the top padding of the mattress.

For uniting the boxing to the inner spring structure in the arrangement shown in Figures 5 and 6, the usual mattress binding cord or twine is employed, such cord being indicated'at it, the same being'passed through the two plies of the padding element 6 immediately inside of the enclosedhelical i i and around portions of the tape strips i3 intermediate the points of attachment of the latter to the boxing. Asindicated in Figure 4, the attaching cord may be carriedlfrom one point of attachment along the edge of the mattress to the next, so that it is not necessary to use a separate cord for each point of attachment although such separate cords may be used if preferred. In the event that separate cords are employed each one would be suitably tied to prevent its opening up and permitting separation of the connected parts. Where a continuouscord is employed its opposite ends are anchored in any suitable manner. It will be apparent that the cord which is threaded around the helicals and portions'of the tape strip l3 serve in sub- In this instance the top. padding 6 is folded downwardly and inwardly around the stantially the same manner as the helical wire as shown in Figure 3 for attaching the boxing to the inner construction of the mattress. The cord attachment arrangement may be somewhat advantageous in respect of cost of manufacture and also in that it permits the enclosing of the border helical It; within the padding material as explained. i

Changes in the described structure may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which should be determined by reference to the following claims, the same being construed as broadly as possible, consistent with the state of the art.

I claim:

1. In a mattress or cushion, the combination of an inner spring construction comprising a plurality of coil springs, a boxing, means secured to said boxing at spaced points so as to provide in termediate separable portions, and helical wire means embracing certain of said intermediate portions and the adjacent spring coil portions of said inner spring construction for connecting said boxing and inner spring construction.

2. In a mattress or cushion, the combination of an inner construction comprising coil springs in the margins thereof, a boxing strip, and means connecting said boxing strip and said inner construction comprising a tape or like strip extending lengthwise of said boxing adjacent an edge thereof and attached thereto at longitudinally spaced points, and connecting means embracing portions of said tape strip intermediate spaced points of attachment and adjacent coil portions of said inner construction springs.

3. In a mattress or cushion, the combination of an inner construction comprising coil springs in the margins thereof, a boxing strip, and means connecting said boxing strip and said inner construction comprising a tape or like strip extending lengthwise of said boxing adjacent an edge thereof and secured thereto at longitudinally spaced points and helical wire means embracing portions of said tape strip intermediate spaced points of attachment and adjacent coil portions of said inner construction springs.

4. Mattress or cushion boxing pro-formed as an article of manufacture and comprising'inner and outer fabric strips, a layer of padding material interposed between said inner and outer fabric strips, said inner and outer fabric strips and interposed padding layer constituting a padded boxing strip, quilting stitching uniting said fabric strips and padding at spaced points, and a member on the inside of said padded boxing strip adjacent one edge and extending longitudinally thereof and secured thereto at longitudinally spaced points by said quilting" stitching, said longitudinally extending member constituting means for faci itating attachment of the boxing to a mattress or cushion.

5. In a mattress or cushion, the combination of an inner spring construction comprising a plurality of coil springs, a boxing comprising inner and outer facing members and an intermediate padding layer, means secured tov said inner facing member at points'spaced longitudinally of said boxing, said means having portions adapted to be spaced inwardly from said inner facing member, and means embracing atleastsome of said portions and adjacent spring coil portions of said inner spring construction for uniting said boxing and inner spring construction.

' 6. In a: mattress or cushion, the combination of an inner spring construction, a boxing strip,

and means connecting said boxing strip and said inner construction comprising a tape or like strip extending lengthwise of said boxing adjacent an edge thereof and attached thereto at longitudinally spaced points and a series of spaced means connecting said boxing to said inner construction,

each of said means enclosing a part of said inner spring construction and the entire cross-section of an adjacent part of said tape strip intermediate adjacent attachment points.

HOWARD HERE/MANN SEAVERT. 

